KING

CARAMELIZED ONIONS WITH EGGS

CARAMELIZED ONIONS WITH EGGS

Caramelized Onions with Eggs
4 large red onions
2 yellow peppers
4 Tbsp. cooking oil
water
1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground mace
¼ tsp. ground cloves
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. honey
8 eggs
fresh chopped coriander (cilantro)

Peel the onions and slice them very thin. Chop the peppers into tiny bits. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet or electric frying pan and add the onions and peppers. Cook over the lowest heat possible, stirring every so often so that they do not burn. After about 15 minutes, add a bit of water and continue cooking, then once again add water after 10 more minutes. When the onions are light brown and somewhat crispy and the peppers are quite soft, sprinkle with vinegar, spices, and honey and mix thoroughly. Make 8 depressions in the mixture and break an egg into each. With a fork lightly scramble each egg, and top with a pinch of fresh coriander. Serve while hot.

THE TEXT

The Text

1 Now the people set up a lament which was offensive to Yahweh's ears, and Yahweh heard it.

4 The rabble who had joined the people were overcome by greed, and the sons of Israel themselves began to wail again, “Who will give us meat to eat?” they said.

5 “Think of the fish we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic!

6 “Here we are wasting away, stripped of everything; there is nothing but manna for us to look at.”

7 The manna was like coriander seed, and had the ap pearance of bdellium.

8 The people went around gathering it, and ground it in a mill or crushed it with a pestle; it was then cooked in a pot and made into pancakes.

9 It tasted like cake made with oil. When the dew fell on the camp at nighttime, the manna fell with it.

31 A wind came from Yahweh and it drove quails in from the sea and brought them down on the camp. They lay for a distance of a day's march either side of the camp, two cubits thick on the ground.

“A wind came from Yahweh and it drove quails in from the sea… .The people were up all that day and night and all the next day collecting quails.”

32 The people were up all that day and night and all the next day collecting quails.

Numbers 11:1, 4–9; 31–32a, The Jerusalem Bible

QUAIL COLORING PAGE

KING'S CROWN

AMRAPHEL

Amraphel

am´ra-fel, am-rā´fel (אמרפל, 'amrāphel, or, perhaps better, 'amerāphel).
1. The Expedition Against Sodom and Gomorrah
This name, which is identified with that of the renowned Babylonian king H̬ammurabi (which see), is only found in Gen_14:1, Gen_14:9, where he is mentioned as the king of Shinar (Babylonia), who fought against the cities of the plain, in alliance with Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Nations (the Revised Version (British and American) GOIIM). The narrative which follows is very circumstantial. From it we learn, that Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela or Zoar, had served Chedorlaomer for 12 years, rebelled in the 13th, and in the 14th year Chedorlaomer, with the kings enumerated, fought with and defeated them in the vale of Siddim, which is described as being the Salt Sea. Previous to this engagement, however, the Elamites and their allies had attacked the Rephaim (Onkelos: “giants”) in Ashtaroth-karnaim, the Zuzim (O: “mighty ones,” “heroes”) in Ham (O: Ḥamtā'), the Emim (O: “terrible ones”) in Shaveh-kiriathaim, and the Horites in their Mount Seir, by the Desert. These having been rendered powerless to aid the revolted vassals, they returned and came to Enmishpat, or Kadesh, attacked the country of the Amalekites, and the Amorites dwelling in Hazazontamar (Gen_14:2-7).
2. The Preparation and the Attack
At this juncture the kings of the cities of the plain came out against them, and opposed them with their battle-array in the vale of Siddim. The result of the fight was, that the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, with their allies, fled, and fell among the bitumen-pits of which the place was full, whilst those who got away took refuge in the mountain. All the goods and food (the camp-equipment and supplies) of the kings of the plain were captured by Chedorlaomer and his allies, who then continued their march (to their own lands) (Gen_14:8-11).
3. Abraham's Rescue of Lot
Among the captives, however, was Lot, Abram's nephew, who dwelt in Sodom. A fugitive, having escaped, went and announced the result of the engagement to Abram, who was at that time living by Mamre's oak plantation. The patriarch immediately marched forth with his trained men, and pursued them to Dan, where he divided his forces, attacked the Elamite-Babylonian army by night, and having put them to flight, pursued them again to Hobah, on the left (or North) of Damascus. The result of this sudden onslaught was that he rescued Lot, with the women and people, and recaptured Lot's goods, which the allies of Amraphel had carried off (Gen_14:12-16).
4. Difficulties of the Identification of Amraphel
There is no doubt that the identification of Amraphel with the H̬ammurabi of the Babylonian inscriptions is the best that has yet been proposed, and though there are certain difficulties therein, these may turn out to be apparent rather than real, when we know more of Babylonian history. The “l” at the end of Amraphel (which has also “ph” instead of “p” or “b”) as well as the fact that the expedition itself has not yet been recognized among the campaigns of H̬ammurabi, must be acknowledged as two points hard to explain, though they may ultimately be solved by further research.
5. Historical Agreements
It is noteworthy, however, that in the first verse of Gen 14 Amraphel is mentioned first, which, if he be really the Babylonian H̬ammurabi, is easily comprehensible, for his renown to all appearance exceeded that of Chedorlaomer, his suzerain. In Gen_14:4 and Gen_14:5, however, it is Chedorlaomer alone who is referred to, and he heads the list of eastern kings in Gen_14:9, where Tidal comes next (a quite natural order, if Goiim be the Babylonian Gutê, i.e. the Medes). Next in order comes Amraphel, king of Babylonia and suzerain of Arioch of Ellasar (Êri-Aku of Larsa), whose name closes the list. It may also be suggested, that Amraphel led a Babylonian force against Sodom, as the ally of Chedorlaomer, before he became king, and was simply crown prince. In that case, like Belshazzar, he was called “king” by anticipation. For further details see ARIOCH and CHEDORLAOMER, and compare ERI-AKU and H̬AMMURABI; for the history of Babylonia during H̬ammurabi's period, see that article.

GENESIS 14:1,2

Genesis 14:1-2 (NASB)


GE 14:1 And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim,


GE 14:2 that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).

 Conditions in Palestine: General conditions in Palestine during the time of the patriarchs support the descriptions described in Genesis. 

 -   Abraham’s warlike behavior in Genesis 14 fits with the picture of nomadic military engagements that are seen in the Mari tablets. This period in Canaan (c. 2100 B.C.) was one of sparse population consisting of weak minor kingdoms that would often times form alliances for mutual protection. Genesis 14 is right in line with the description of the account of the invasion of the four kings.



   Like many that lived in that day the patriarchs are described as ordinary people. Landless, mobile, tent-dwelling, and living by means of herding and agriculture. The search for water, grazing land for flocks, and maintenance of peace with neighbors was a part of everyday life. Their comings and goings would not be recorded in any state archives. Where it is recorded, however, is in the Bible.

 -   Clarification of the nomadic lifestyles of the patriarchs is supported by descriptions found in the Mari Tablets. Jacob’s taking up residence near Shechem  (Gen. 34) and later near Hebron (Gen. 37:12-18) is similar to the practices of the leaders of nomadic tribes near Mari.

 Keep in mind that the body of information available to modern scholarship is very small, almost non-existent. Since Genesis is our only ancient source for the lives of the patriarchs, it deserves the pride of place. Let the critics offer proof that Abraham did not exist. In the absence of such unattainable proof, it is only logical to admit the evidence of the biblical text, without the arguments from silence that always characterize attacks on Scripture. Archaeology still provides illumination for the patriarchal time period without being forced to bear the impossible burden of proving their existence.



1. אמרפל  'amrāpel, Amraphel; related: unknown. אלריוך  'aryôk, Ariok, “leonine?” related: ארי  'arı̂y, “a lion:” a name re-appearing in the time of Daniel Dan_2:14. אלסר  'elāsār Ellasar (related: unknown) is identified with Larsa or Larancha, the Λάρισσα  Larissa or Λαράχων  Larachōn of the Greeks, now Senkereh, a town of lower Babylonia, between Mugheir (Ur) and Warka (Erek) on the left bank of the Frat. כדרלעמר  kedārlā‛omer, Kedorla’omer, was compared by Col. Rawlinson with Kudur-mapula or mabuk, whose name is found on the bricks of Chaldaea, and whose title is Apda martu, ravager of the west. He translates it “servant of Lagamer,” one of the national divinities of Susiana. It is also compared with Kedar el-Ahmar, “Kedar the Red,” a hero in Arabian story. תדעל  tı̂d‛āl, Tid’al, “terror.” גוים  gôyı̂m, Goim, “nations.”
2. ברע  bera‛, Bera‘, “gift?” ברשׁע  bı̂rsha, Birsha‘, “long and thick?” Arabic שׁנאב  shı̂n'āb, Shinab, “coolness?” אדמה  'admâh, Admah, “red soil” שׁמאבר  shem'ēber, Shemeber, “high-soaring?” צביים;  tsebôyı̂ym, Tseboim, “gazelles.” בלע  be